Punch retainer with lock



March 25, 1952 J. F. KOPCZYNSKI PUNCH RETAINER WITH LOCK Filed Nov. 3, 1948 Patented Mar. 25, 1952 U N] TED 1 N it Q F F 1C E a590,54's .4PUNQHiRETAINER.EJETHILGCK "Johny;KopczynskifBuffalo, N. Y. .lapplicationzNovember 3, f1Q48,--S-erial No. 58,951 l2ll'llaims. (o1..-.279 -v9) This invention relates to.;perforating punches and particularly'to a construction fordetachably mounting the punches in positionpn the punch holder and in proper axial alinement.

An object of the invention to provide animproved punch retainer which ;will alwaysposition the punch in the correct angular; position about its longitudinal axis so that when the perforating end of the punch isgof odd or non-circularshape, it will always be alined properly -with--respect to the female dieby the mereactofseculfin it in the punch holder.

Another object of the invention-is to provide an improved and simple punch retainer which will securely hold the punch inoperative position, with which the punch 1 may be easily and :quickly attached to and detached from the punch holder, in which danger of thepunchbeingaccidentally or unintentionally detached or misali ned ;.is avoided, inywhich the punch will be firmly and rigidly held in the retainer until .itspremoval is desired, and which willberelatively, simple, compact, convenient and inexpensive.

Various other objects and ;advantages will be apparent from the following 'descriptionof; one embodiment of the invention; and the novel features will be particularlypointedpwt hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying-drawmg:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through a punch holder and retainer constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectionalplanofthe same, thesection being taken approximately along thel-line 2- -2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is aplan of the lockingkey and springs removed from-the retainer.

In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, the device includes the usual punch holder I which is mounted, as usuaL for movement toward I and from the die shoeand die block (not shown),

on which the blank (not shown). Itobe perforated is supported. On the underfaceof .the holder I,

, one or more perforating punches 2.1m detachably mounted througharetainer device designated generallyat 3. This .retainerl 3'isattached I .to the underface of the holder I in any suitable manner, such as by a plurality of screws passing through the retainer upwardly (into the holder. The retainer .is -formed of twoplates 4 and 5 arranged face to-faceto each other and-to the holder in'superposed relation.

The plate 5 has apassaget and plate-4 has a and which passage terminates at its upper end .in a recess 8 provided in the upper face of the plate i. A hardened round disc- 9 fills and'is countersunk flush in the recess 3 and ab-wtsagainst the underface of holder 1. The perforating punch 2 slidingly fits the passages 6 and i, and its upper end-abuts against the under face of the disc .5.

1e plate i is preferably thicker than plate 5, and in its lower face is provided with a recess I0 rectangular in ,outline, see Fig. 2, which intersects slidingly with the passage 7, and which may be formed by a hob die and heavy pressure. A T- slhaped key or bridge I I is disposed in this recess I0, and the head of the T has a width approximately equal to but slightly less than the width of the recess It, and is at the end of recess in nearest the passage i, but the key is free to slide in the recess I0 toward and from passage 7 and partially across 'the passage 1, so that the edge face of key II, across the top of the head of the key, may extend across the passage I as a chord of the cylindrical passage.

The recess II] is made slightly wider than the length of the chord across which the key extends so that the engagement of the ends of the head of the key with the end of the recess ID at opposite sides of the intersection with passage .1, will limit the extent of movement of the key into the passage '5. A helical compression spring I2 is disposed in recess It at each side of the leg I3 of the key, and each spring acts between the under face of the head or the T and the opposite end of the recess It to urge the key into its. position against. the advanced edge of the key I I and cam across the passage '5. The leg of key I I is shorter than the length of the recess It, so that the key head can move entirely out of the passage I.

"The shank of punch 2, in its portion within the passage 1, is provided with a transverse kerf, grooveor channel, or slot it which has a straight bottom wall and a width [from side wall to side wall, measured lengthwise of the shank, approxi- [end of the punch 2 is provided with a bevelledoff .corner. edge 5 5, so that when the punch is inserted upwardly through passage a into passage I, this bevelled edge or corner Iii will .engage it aside into the recess It, so that the punch 2 may continue upwardly until the slot or channel I4 is alined horizontally with the recess I0.

- To enable removal of the punch, the punch is provided with a transversely extending pin 16, which is longer than the diameter of the shank of the punch, and by applying a tool to the punch 2 in engagement with the projecting ends of the pin i6, one may rotate the punch '2 about its longitudinal axis. During such rotation, the punch at one end of the slot or channel M will abut against the end face of the head of 'the T and cam it aside into the recess l0, and the unslotted periphery of the shank, which represents part of the periphery of a cylinder, will move along the adjacent edge face of the key and hold it within the recess l0 and entirely out of the passage 7. One may then pull endwise on the punch 2 which is free to drop without hindrance from the key In order to lock the key within the slot or channel 14 of the punch, the plate 5 is provided with a threaded passage I! at one side of the passage 6, and this passage 11 opens upwardly into one end of the recess H! which is the end opposite from the passage '1. The plate 4 is provided with a passage I8 which is axially alined with passage l1 and which intersects one end of the recess H]. A screw I9 is threaded into the passage I! and is provided with an unthreaded end portion 20 which is reduced in cross sectional area from that of the threaded part of the screw 19. This reduced end 20 extends upwardly through passage 18. the extension 20 is tapered convergingly upward, and extends upwardly through one end of the recess ID.

The free end of the leg l3 of the T of key N is provided with a concave surface 2! which has a center of curvature approximately at the longitudinal axis of the extending end 20 when the leg l3 abuts end 20, and the adjacent end of recess It) also preferably has a concave. seat 22 which also has its center of curvature in the longitudinal axis of the extended part 20. When the screw I9 is threaded into passage [7, the tapered end 20 first passes upwardly through the recess I0 between the concave seats 2| and 22, and as the screw l9 approaches its full line position shown in Fig. l, the tapered end 20 will act as a wedge between the opposed concave seats 2i and 22 and will cam the key I l towards the punch and into the slot or channel l4. This pressure of the key in the slot or channel [4 serves to anchor the punch 2 rigidly in the retainer, and prevent its removal therefrom, and also prevent rotation thereof which would tend to release itfrom the key.

The depth of the slot [4 is such that the bridge: or key II will engage against the bottom of the slot when the ends of the key engage against the adjacent end of the recess ID at the opposite sides of the passage 1 that receives the shank of the punch 2. The key I I, when forced by the tapered end 20 of the screw I 9 into the slot Hi and against the end of recess I0, not only looks the punch 2 against removal, but it also holds the punch against all rotation about its longitudinal axis in both directions. When the perforating end of the punch is of an odd shape or non-circular, it must be alined always with the cooperating female die, and by proper placing of the slot [4, the perforating end of the punch will always be accurately located angularly about theaxis of the punch. This avoids danger of misalinement of the punch when it is removed or replaced.

Since the upper end of the punch abuts against the hardened disc or plate 9, the end pressures:

The periphery of on the punch will be transmitted through the plate or disc 9 to the holder, and will not be carried by the key H. To remove the punch, one first unscrews screw 19 from the passage I"! and lowers the tapered part 20 from the retainer. This releases the key I I so that it may be cammed aside by rotation of the punch, as explained above.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like which comprises a punch holder, a punch retainer secured to a face of said holder and having a pair of superposed plates with alined openings forming a common passage therethrough to said holder for detachably receiving the shank of a punch to be held, one of said plates having, in its face abutting the other plate, a recess intersecting said passage,

with its bottom wall in a plane normal to the axis or" said passage, a flat, plate-like key sliding freely in said recess on said bottom wall into and out of said passage, spring means within said recess and urging said key across said recess into said passage, where it may engage in a groove in the shank of said punch, and a cam in said recess and operable to force said key towards said passage.

2. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like which comprises a punch holder, a punch retainer secured to a face of said holder and having a pair of superposed plates with alined openings forming a common passage therethrough to said holder for detachably receiving the shank of a punch to be held, one of said plates having, in its face abutting the other plate, a recess intersecting said passage with its bottom wall normal to the axis of said passage,

; a flat, plate-like key sliding freely in said recess on said bottom wall into and out of said passage and having a straight edge which enters said passage, spring means within said recess at each end thereof and urging said key across said recess into said passage, where it may engage in a groove in the shank of said punch, a screw threaded to one of said plates in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said passage, and having a longitudinally tapered part extending crosswise of said recess and engaging with said key to force it towards said recess when the screw is threaded in one direction, and to release the key when threaded in the opposite direction.

3. A punch retainer construction for perforatingdies and the like which comprises a punch holder, a punch retainer secured to a face of said holder and having a pair of superposed plates with alined openings forming a common passage therethrough to said holder for detachably a longitudinall ltapered part extending crosswise of .said' recess and engaging with said key -ing dies andthe'flike which comprises ap'punch holder, a punch-retainer semi-eats a. 'face of said .hol'der ean'd having a pair of superposed plates with alined openings forming a cornmon' pa'ssage therethrough to said holder "for 'detachably receiving the Shank of a-punh tobeheia-cne 'of said plates having, in its face abutting ftheother plate, a recess intersecting said passage and wider (than the passage atiits intersectioirwith -passa ge, a platellike. key sli'di rlgl'freely in'said recess .into and .out .of said passage and'ha ving a strai'ghtedge which enters said passage and extends across it as a chord and longer than said chord, spring means within said'reeess at each end thereof and urging said key across said recess into said passage, where it may engage in a'transve'rse' groove in the shank of said punch and angularly position said punch, a screw threaded through the outer of said plates in a direction parallel'to the axis of'said'passage'and having an axially tapered extension extending into said recess and engagingwith said key to cam-it towards said passage when the screw is threaded inone direction and to release the key "when threaded in the opposite direction.

5. A perforating punch construction comprising a punch holder, a retainer secured-to aiface pf 'said holder and formed of a-plurality of superposed plates, with alined openings defining a common passage therethrough to said holder, a punch having its shank removably received in said passage, one of the faces of abutting faces between the plates having a recess intersecting said passage, with its bottom wall in a plane normal to the axis of said passage, said punch shank having a groove with a straight bottom wall extending transversely thereof and alined with said recess, a plate-like key sliding back and forth in said recess and into and out of said passage and said groove, said key having its edge which enters said passage, straight to engage with said straight bottom wall and angularly position the punch, spring means for urging said key towards said passage, and a cam carried by said retainer and selectively operable on said key to cam it into said passage and groove and lock it there or to release the key for removal from said passage and groove.

6. A perforating punch construction comprising a punch holder, a retainer secured to a face of said holder and formed of a plurality of superposed plates, with alined openings defining a common passage therethrough to said holder, a punch having its shank removably received in said passage, one of the faces of abutting faces between the plates having a recess intersecting said passage, with its bottom wall in a plane normal to the axis of said passage, said punch shank having a groove with a straight bottom wall extending transversely thereof and alined with said recess, a T-shaped key sliding back and forth in said recess and into and out of said passage and said groove, said key having a straight edge at the head of the T which enters said groove, and a concave opposite edge, spring means at each side of the leg of the T and acting between the head of the T and. the opposite end of the recess for urging said key towards said passage, and a screw threaded into said retainer in a direction "parallel to the axis of'said passage and having a cam part within said recess operable on'the concave edge of said key to cam it towards said passage when turned in one direction and to release it when turned in the other direction.

'7. A punch retainer construction for perforating diesand the like which comprises a punch holder, a punch retainer secured to a face of said holder and having a pair of superposedoplates with alined openings forming a common passage therethrough to said holder for detachablyireceiving the shank of a punch to be held-one of said plates having, in its face abutting theother plate, a recess intersecting said passage, and

with its bottom wall in a plane normal to the axis of said passage a T-shaped key sliding freely endwise in said recess with the head of the T moving into and out of said passage, spring means within said recess at each side of the key and acting between the ends of the head of the T and'the opposite end of said recess for urgin said key across said recess into said passage, Where said head may enter a transverse kerf'in the shank of said punch, a cam in said recess and operable to force said key towards-said passage, and a hardened disc confined in'the face of said retainer that abuts said holder and'a'cross the'en'd of saidcommon passage.

'8. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like, which comprises a memberhaving a chamber opening through a face thereof, a punch having its shank sliding endwise and rotating in said chamber, said-member having a recess therein intersecting said chamber in a direction transverse to the punch shank, said shank having a slot with parallel side walls cut across a side thereof in horizontal alinement with said recess, and with a substantially straight bottom wall, a plate-like key sliding endwise of itself in said recess into and out of said slot and abutting the bottom of the slot when it also engages the adjacent end of said recess that limits its endwise movement into said slot, and an element in said recess and accessible and operable from the exterior of said member at said face for positively forcing said key into said slot to lock said punch within said member, hold it against rotation therein, and position said punch angularly about its longitudinal axis.

9. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like, which comprises a member having a chamber opening through a face thereof, a punch having its shank sliding endwise and rotating in said chamber, said member having a recess therein intersecting said chamber in a direction transverse to the punch shank, said shank having a slot cut across a side thereof in horizontal alinement with said recess, a key sliding in said recess into and out of said slot and abutting the bottom of the slot as it also engages the adjacent end of said recess, the bottom wall of said slot and the engaging end of said key having abutting contact at points well spaced along the bottom Wall of the slot to position the shank angularly, and an element in said recess and operable from the exterior of said member at said face for positively forcing said key into said slot to lock said punch within said member, hold it against rotation therein, and position said punch angularly about its longitudinal axis.

10. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like, which comprises a memher having a chamber opening through a face thereof, a punch having its shank sliding endwise and rotating in said chamber, said member having a recess therein intersecting said chamber in a direction transverse to the punch shank, said shank having a slot with parallel side walls in planes normal to the axis of said shank, and out across a side thereof in horizontal alinement with said recess, a flat, plate-like key sliding in said recess into and out of said slot and abutting the bottom of the slot, at two points well spaced apart along the length of the slot, said recess and key being wider than its intersection with said passage, a spring at each side of the key urging it towards the passage, and a wedge element entering said recess from said face of said member and operable to force said key positively towards said chamber and into said slot to engage against the bottom of the slot and hold the punch from rotation in removal from said chamber.

11. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like which comprises a punch retainer having a punch receiving passage extending inwardly from a face thereof, and also having therein a cavity intersecting said passage, a fiat key in said cavity and movable into and partially across said passage, the end of said cavity nearest said passage being engaged by the end of said key to limit movement of said key in a direction crosswise of said passage, the end edge of said key which enters said passage being substantially straight, and an element carried by said retainer and operable on the key to force it into and partially across said passage, whereby when the shank of a cylindrical punch is received endwise in said passage, with a transverse kerf aligned with said cavity, said key may be forced into said kerf to engage its bottom wall and angularly position the punch about its longitudinal axis and hold it within the retainer.

12. A punch retainer construction for perforating dies and the like which comprises a punch retainer having a punch receiving passage extending inwardly from a face thereof, and also having therein a cavity intersecting said passage, a flat key in said cavity and movable into and partially across said passage, the end edge of said key which enters said passage being substantially straight, and an element carried by said retainer and operable on the key to force it into and partially across said passage, whereby when the shank of a cylindrical punch is received endwise in said passage, with a transverse kerf aligned with said cavity, said key may be forced into said kerf to engage its bottom wall and angularly position the punch about its longitudinal axis and hold it within the retainer.

JOHN F. KOPCZYNSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 19,111 Harrington Mar. 13, 1934 2,089,166 Reichhardt Apr. 3, 1937 2,186,190 Gulfelt Nov. 8, 1938 2,154,738 Fisher Apr. 18, 1939 2,227,796 Quillen Jan. 7, 1941 

